Voting-booth



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY P. OCONNELL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

VOTING-BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,344, dated September 29, 1891. Application filed October 20,1890. Serial No. 368,693. (No model.)

To osZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY P. OCoNNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of WVayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Voting-Booths; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a voting-booth; and it consists of the devices and appliances hereinafter specified and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section illustrating features of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are views in horizontal section on the line 00 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the device closed up. 7

My invention contemplates a voting-booth of novel construction, simple, economical, and eflicient, which need not be taken apart for storage or transportation, but which may readily be folded into a very compact space. It is well understood that, in connection with what is known as the Australian system of voting, booths are required.

The object of my invention is to provide such a booth with superior facilities.

To this end A represents the side wall of the booth made of any suitable construction. To said wall are engaged narrow end pieces B B, to which are hinged doors 0 G.

I do not limit myself to any special manner of hinging the doors, but prefer to use selfclosing hinges and such as will permit the doors to swing freely in either direction from said end pieces and return the doors to a central position when through swinging. The doors may be of any suitable construction, preferably hung above the base of the booth and being short enough to allow a space above the door and the top of the booth.

The doors are made double actingbymeans of a connecting-cord or analogous device D,

, which may be extended from one door to the other through suitable eyes D, engaged upon the side or back of the booth. The extremities of the cord are connected with the two doors, respectively, in such a manner that the opening of the door 0' will effect the simultaneous opening of the door 0, the former opening outward and the latterinward when in use. 7

E is a shelf engaged to the back or side wall A, so as to fold up against said wall when not in use in any desired manner. hen a series of booths are used, the back of one serves as the front of another adjacent thereto. The outer booth of a series may be provided With an independent front F, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of the device is as follows:

A voter entering the booth through the door 0 allows it to close behind him and prepares his ballot upon the shelf E. The doors being self-closing, the door 0 is also shut. IVhen his ballot is prepared, the voter opens and passes through the door 0 in the presence of the inspectors. As he does so the outward opening of the door 0' simultaneously opens the door 0, allowing the gate-keeper to see that the booth is unoccupied and ready for another occupant to be admitted thereinto, while also the door Chas swung closed. when the booths are to be stored, the shelf is folded against the rear side wall and the doors both closed inward. The end pieces B B are each simply of a width to allow the compact folding of the doors, one piece being narrower than the other to allow one of the doors to fold over the other, as shown in Fig. 4:.

G denotes any suitable bracket or fastening, whereby the booth may be secured to the floor. By simply disengaging these fastenings the booth is ready for folding and storing, and is constantly in permanent engage ment, one part with another, to be unfolded and quickly set up, when required, withleast possible time or labor.

The whole device is light and can be handled easily. Allowing the Voter to enter at one side and pass out at the other, it meets the full requirement of the law.

A tie-strip H may be screwed upon two ad jacent sides A to hold the booths more securely. When the device is to be folded up, the one end alone of said strip may be released and swung about upon the upper edge of the back or side to which it remains secured.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a voting-booth,in combinatio-n=,aside wall, self-closing doors hung to the two sides of said wall, and a connection between the two doors, whereby when the exit-door is opened outward the entrance-door is opened inward.

2. Ina Voting-booth, in combination, a side wall, and doors hung upon hinges at the two sides of said wall and connected the one with the other to swing in the same direction when in use, whereby the opening of the exit-door will. open:v the entrance-door, substantially as set forth.

In a voting-booth, in combination, aside wall, a folding shelf, and doors hungv at the two sides of said. wall, and a connection between the" said doors, whereby when one door is opened outward the other door is opened inward, said doors arranged to fold up adjacent to said wall when not in use, substantially as set forth.

4. In a voting-booth, in combination, a side wall provided with end pieces secured thereto, doors hinged to said end pieces at each side of said wall, and a connection between the 1 said doors, whereby when one door is opened outward the other door is opened inward, and

a folding shelf, said doors arranged to fold inwardly when not in use, substantially as set forth.

5. In a Voting-booth, incombinatiomaside wall, and doors hung at the two sides of said wall and connected together, the entrancedoor arranged to swing inward when the exitdoor is swung. outward in use, both. doors. arranged to swing and told inward when the device is not in use, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this. specification in the presence of two witnesses- HENRY P. OGONNELL.

Witnesses N. S. WRIGHT, JOHN F.1VHLLER. 

